Page 10

Chapter four

ATALIIA

“Isweartothefucking Gods, I don’t care that he’s a king, if Hyacinth didn’t love him, I would feed him to her Gods damn dragon.”

Andrues lifted a brow at the threat in my tone but kept his eyes glued to the pages of his book.

“Who does he think he is? These aremydreams. He wants to give that monster—who literally tortured me just to save a little face, and kidnapped the supposed love of his life—access tomymind.” I flicked my fingers and sent a vase full of bloodred rose mallow crashing into the wall behind me.

Andrues slid a leather scrap into the seam of his page and closed the book. He tilted his head, resting his chin on his fist, and studied me.

“What?” I snapped.

He didn’t deserve my anger, I knew that, none of them did. Not even Landers. Landers had done more for me these last ninemonths than I was willing to admit, and I didn’t know why that made me so angry—why I hated him for it.

“Are you done?” Andrues asked, his expression amused.

“No,” I shot back. “As a matter of fact, I’m just getting started and I cannotbelieveyou would even—”

“Ataliia,” he interrupted. “Are youdone?” Andrues gestured his hand over the length of my body and I looked down to see hands that were not my own.

I hadn’t realized I had shifted, I didn’t feel it. I sucked in a sharp breath, slumping into the chair across from him, and let the air seep out through my nostrils. As I took in another breath, I could feel my body—my face—morphing back into my own. I could feel my magic working when I was calm—focused.

I was spiraling.

I knew I was spiraling but I didn’t know how to stop it. Didn’t know how to stop this vile darkness from poisoning my mind.

Recently, when I got angry, I’d started shifting without realizing it. It was like my magic was trying to protect me. It sensed danger when rage flared inside of me and took control in an attempt to shield me from harm.

“You are giving your magic too much control. If you are not careful, it will devour you, Ataliia. Your magic is not for the weak-minded.” The tone in which he said the words was kind, but there was a current of concern that ran through the veins of them.

I nodded, leaning back into the chair and lifting my chin toward the ceiling, hardening my face so he wouldn’t see the pain—the tears begging for release just under the surface.

Irefusedto let anyone see a single tear defile my face.

“Now, about these dreams—”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the ceiling as Andrues continued. “I agree with Landers, we are no longer in a position to donothing. There are too many lives at stake,” he said, his voice calm.

I sat up straight and narrowed my eyes, pinning them on him.

“Of course you would agree with him, you’re basically his little pet. The only thing that upsets me about your opinion, is that it doesn’t surprise me,” I snapped, watching as his thumb spun the ring around his right pointer finger, and the corners of his lips twitched upward.

He ran a hand through his hair, brushing back the strands that had fallen over his brow.

“I know this may come as a shock, but this is not about you. It involves you, yes, involves your dreams—dreams that seem to be trying to tell us something much bigger than you or me. But, I ask you, if it is a choice between risking the lives of the people you love, risking the realms, or facing the man you fear, what are you going to choose?”

“I don’t fear him,” I hissed, pushing my chin up.

“Yes, you do,” Andrues said slowly, his voice so deep, so commanding. “You see him and you feel all the pain he inflicted—you are sucked back into those chains, dangling from that ceiling.” He stood, pushing the sleeves of his tunic up his forearms.

The muscles underneath his skin tightened as he stepped directly in front of the chair where I sat, and stared down at me. His sapphire eyes pierced through mine and I swallowed.

“No,” the word came out of me like a dagger.

I didn’t want to hear this. I didn’t want to remember this. I wasn’t scared. I wouldnotlet myself be scared.

“Yes,” Andrues responded as he bent over, both hands clasping the arms of my chair tightly as he leaned in toward me. “What, Ataliia? Are you afraid of a little pain? Scared of a bit of torture? Scared of a manweakerthan you?” Andrues’s voice wasa low rumble as the words left his mouth, his breath nipping at the crimson painted on my lips.